Tuesday, May 17, 2011

News from Uganda! Changes and re-routing!

News from Uganda!

Yesterday our president was sworn in amid protests following the arrival of one of the leading opposition leaders back into the country. There was a lot of tension in the city. There was even an incident where a motorcyclist was shot dead by security agents when he obstructed the Nigerian presidential convoy.
However, today the situation was calm and we thank God that the current state of affairs appears to be normal at the moment. The opposition leadership says they will still continue with the walk to work protests on Mondays and Thursdays so we cannot ably predict how the situation will go on in the month of May 2011.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201105160172.html

We are closely monitoring this rather unpredictable situation and are saddened by the decision to cancel the trip. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has caused you, the international tours team and all our guests.

The Chiropractors with Compassion Team will be changing their plans to avoid any unrest and risk.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Africa Awaits!



Dr. Mike Rumpel leaves for Africa in one week. 
One of the many places they will be visiting is Mathare Valley.  According to one United Nations study, 60% of the population of Nairobi lives in slums which occupy about 5% of the land. The largest of these slums in Kibera, with an estimated 1.5 million residents. The oldest and worst of the slums in Nairobi are part of a collection of slums called Mathare with a population of approximately 700,000.
In Mathare, people live in small one room shanties made of old tin and mud, often occupied by 8-12 people. They sleep on pieces of cardboard on the dirt floors of the shanties. There are public toilets shared by up to 100 people and residents have to pay to use them. Those who cannot afford to pay use the alleys and ditches between the shanties. “Flying toilets” are plastic bags used by the residents and thrown to the wind or into the Nairobi River, which is the source of the residents water supply.
There are almost as many people in the three square miles that make up the Mathare Valley as in the cities of Denver, Seattle, or Boston. HIV rates are high. Children and teenagers are often left to care for their younger siblings. 

This is just one of the many incredible things Dr. Mike will witness to grow and learn.